when does the american stock market open

The main American stock markets (NYSE and Nasdaq) open at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday, and close at 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, excluding market holidays.

Quick Scoop

• Regular hours (cash session) :
  • Open: 9:30 a.m. ET
  • Close: 4:00 p.m. ET
  • Days: Monday–Friday, no trading on weekends, closed on most major U.S. holidays.

• Pre-market trading (for many brokers):
  • Common window: roughly 4:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. ET.

• After-hours trading :
  • Common window: roughly 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET.

• Who this applies to :
  • New York Stock Exchange (NYSE)
  • Nasdaq Stock Market (Nasdaq)
    Both share the same core open and close times.

Holidays and special early closes

• Markets are closed on major U.S. holidays (for example, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day).

• On some days (like the day after Thanksgiving or Christmas Eve in certain years), the market may close early at 1:00 p.m. ET.

Simple example

If you’re in New York or following Eastern Time and want to place a normal stock trade on a Wednesday, you can expect regular market hours from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. ET, with the busiest activity often near the open and close.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.